'It's time to end our suffering': Parents of slain Ontario woman push for answers as police offer $100K for information
The parents of a young Ontario woman who was one of two people shot and killed earlier this year are making an emotional appeal for information as police offer up a $100,000 reward to help solve the case.
Juliana Pannunzio, 20, of Windsor, and Christine Crooks, 18, of Toronto died, on Jan. 19 while attending a birthday party at a short-term rental in Fort Erie.
Photos and memories are all Pannunzio’s mother and stepmother say they have left of their daughter. They both raised her and say they are heartbroken and have so many questions.
“[She was] kind, smart, funny, outgoing, fiery,” said mother Lisa Mulcaster. “To sit here and not know at this point, still, what happened to her, it eats you alive.”
“It changed our lives forever. It put us into a tailspin we can’t get out of,” said stepmother Shellie Pannunzio. “It’s so hard to move forward … to constantly wonder if there is something we could have done.”
Windsor resident Juliana Pannunzio and Toronto resident Christine Crooks were killed in the shooting.
The parents hope a $100,000 reward being offered by Niagara Regional Police Service [NRPS] leads to the arrest and conviction of the person, or persons, responsible, and will give way to the answers they so desperately crave.
“What we’re hoping for is that they are finally going to come forward, if it takes this increased financial incentive of $100,000 to be tipping point, enough is enough,” said Staff. Sgt Steve Magistrale with the NRPS major crime unit. “I’m not going to allow this level of violence to keep on occurring. This is such a tragedy.”
Police released a photo from the party Thursday, taken from surveillance footage inside the residence, and hope to learn more about the male and female unmasked guests.
(Courtesy of Niagara Regional Police)
Police say more than five people were at the party and believe they are from the Toronto area.
“We have spoken with some of them who have come forward, but there are others who still refused to cooperate,” Magistrale said. “What we’re really dealing with is a person who brings a gun to a birthday party and senselessly murders two girls at this party. So this is a person who deserves to be held accountable.”
Pannunzio’s parents say they don’t know the people their daughter was with the night she was killed.
“It’s time for someone to come forward. It’s time to speak your truth. It’s time to end our suffering,” said Shellie.
“There’s no more laughs, there’s no more kisses, hugs, there is nothing. So the void that she has left us, you can’t fill that, she was a person, she was a part of me, a part of our family and she’s gone. For what? Why?” said Mulcaster.
Police have not said if the individuals in the image released from the party are suspects in the double homicide.
Anyone with information about the murders is being asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.